Bio
Kyle B. is a career musician who’s traveled the world as a DJ, producer, and trombone player – he’s also been fiercely dedicated to playing reggae music for over a decade.
Originally from Rhode Island, USA, Kyle B. began playing music at a young age, and by high school was competing in statewide competitions on trombone. He went on to study jazz at Berklee College of Music in Boston, discovering his love of reggae and world music at the same time. After graduating in 2009, he began playing lead trombone for a variety of bands in the Rhode Island and Massachusetts area, recording two albums with afropop band Koliba; joining Guns of Navarone, a ska and reggae cover band out of Worcester, MA; playing frequently with Soulshot, a roots reggae band based in Westerly, RI – mainstay bands that opened for big name acts including The Skatalites, The Toasters, Tarrus Riley and The Slackers. Kyle B. also toured the US with famous ska punk band Big D and the Kids Table on 2011 Vans Warped Tour.
In late 2011, Kyle B. moved to China, marking a shift in his career. He spent the next two years touring the country and recording with Chinese reggae artists including Jiang Liang, MouseFX, and members of the band KAWA. During this time, he also began writing and producing his own music.
2014 would bring more change as Kyle B. headed to Valencia, Spain to pursue a master's degree in music business at Berklee College of Music. While there, he started his own band KB Killaz, playing original reggae and dub music written by himself and the band while also frequenting the jam sessions of Spain's flourishing reggae scene. During this time he also began formal training in music production and began experimenting with his own recordings. After graduating in 2015, he moved back to China, this time entering the bustling music scene of Shanghai.
In Shanghai, Kyle B. grew his career in the music industry while simultaneously making the most of his talent as a musician. He began working for a local music streaming platform, eventually moving on to start his own music marketing agency. During this time, he played in a ska band The Molemen and frequently sat in with other Shanghai bands on trombone.
Around 2016, in search of even more opportunities to bring reggae music to fans in China, Kyle B. began his path as a DJ, starting off in local underground bars and co-founding Shanghai Dancehall, an international DJ crew with regular parties across the city. As a DJ, he has played hundreds of club shows and festivals, sharing the stage with artists including Henry Fong, Jillionaire, Mr. Williamz, O.B.F & Charlie P., WuduB!?, Steppa Style and Rob Smith aka RSD. He has a monthly mix show called Big Time Radio featuring new reggae and dancehall music from Asia and the rest of the world, garnering over 10,000 plays on the platform NetEase Cloud Music.
During Shanghai's Covid lockdowns in 2022, Kyle B. released original music in his own name for the first time, launching the label Big Time Sound as an outlet for his productions and collaborations. In the short time since, he's put out two full riddim albums, an EP of roots covers in 8-Bit and other new roots and dancehall singles. Highlights include songs from Jamaican artists Colah Colah and Selvie Wonder, UK artist Webster James Linton, French singer/producer General Huge and other artists from Japan, China and Mongolia, with many more planned for the near future.